Rat and mouse trap.



No. 867,163. v PATENTED SEPT. 24, 190'?.V

S. SHRBFFLER.

RAT. AND MOUSE TRAP.4

Arrmo'npn FILED 1120.10. 100e.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

SAMUEL SHREFFLER, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO M. A. FELMAN ANDCOMPANY, OF

. JOLIET, ILLINOIS, A FIRM.l

RAT AND MOUSE TRAP.

Speceation of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application led December 10, 1906. Serial NO- 347.174.

To all whom 'it may concern? Be it known that I, SAMUEL SHREFELER, acitizen oi the United States, residing at Joliet, in the county of Willand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Rat and Mouse Traps, oi

. which the following is a specification.

My invention is a metal rat and mousetrap, most of the parts being madefrom a rectangular piece of ductile sheet metal and cut from the same,or partly out of the same, and bent into the desired positions," thusforming the parts, and the whole constructed Without the use oi bolts,screws or rivets, and in a novel and simple Way, so that it can behandled with ease and if desirable, can beset in the dark, as the movingof a certain part automatically sets the trap.

The object of my invention is to furnish for general use a handy,useful, cheap and durable trap for ridding houses and barns, etc., ofrats and mice, small sizes to be used in places where only mice canenter, and larger sizes elsewhere. I attain this object by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in Which- Figure 1 is anassembled view oi the entire trap; Fig. 2 is a View showing what isformed from one piece of metal without any part being detached; Fig. -3is a view of the trigger plate showing receptacle or bait in one end.Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the latch plate, showing the recesses orperiorations in the same.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views. l

Base plate l, the support 3 and the supports 10, all one piece oi metal,constitute the frame work of the trap. In the supports l0, are cut theopen slots 1l, to receive the spring bar 13. On the outer sides of thesupports 10, on the projecting ends oi the spring bar 13, is secured theloop 2 by means of the openings in the ends oi the said loop. On thespring bar 13 are coiled the springs l2 so that when the spring bar 13is introduced into the open slots l1, one end of each spring will reston the base plate 1, and the other ends of the springs will vrestagainst the loop 2. A recess 18 is cut into the center of the top oi thesupport 3, thus forming the shoulders 19, upon the inner points of whichare Swivel points 15. On the swivel points 15, is pivoted the latchplate 4 by means of the periorations 21 in the lugs 6. The latch plate 4is placed in posi- Vtion by bending one of shoulders 19, placing thesaid swivel points and lug recesses in conjunction, and then bending theshoulder back into position. Latch plate 4 is operated as a lever withthe short arm to hold the loop 2 in position when the trap is set. Thetongue 9 is cut from support 3 and shortened about the thickness vof thetrigger plate 8. The latter is positioned by the support 3, when thetrigger plate is turned on its bottom side and the slots 17 are enteredby the plate edges, the tongue 9 is pressed back into position and thetrigger plate 8 is then in position, resting on the edge oi the plate atthe bottom of slot 20 when the trap is set, and on said plate edge andthe ridge 16 when the trap is sprung. One end ofthe trigger plate '8 isturned so as to rest upon the upper surface of' said plate, thus orminga bait receptacle 20. This receptacle has a slot 14 to expose the bait,which bait is, also, exposed at the open ends oi the said receptacle,the purpose of slot 14 is to allow the bait to expand into the slot, andthus hold the bait securely, so that the rodent can only lnibble at, butnot remove the bait bodily. On the other end oi the trigger plate 8 isthe keeper 7 with a beveled front rim, and projecting from oneend of thelatch plate 4 is the catch 5, beveled on its under side, so that whensaid latch plate is moved to a vertical position, the catch 5 passesover the beveled rim oi the keeper 7 and is engaged by the notch in saidkeeper, and the trap is thus automatically set. The rodents trying toget the bait will raise the bait end of trigger plate 8, thus releasingthe catch 5 and the loop 2, and springing the trap. The trame work, andits slots and recesses, are ormed and shaped by two dies; one to cut andperforate the sheet oi metal, and the other to shape the frame Work.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

An improved metal rat and mouse trap, consisting of, a base plate; anupright support 3 cohesively connected with said base plate and providedwith a recess 18 in the middle of the top of said support; shoulders 19formed by said recess 18; swivel points on the inner corners of saidshoulders; a lever latch plate pivoted on said swivel points atrapdoop,held in set and upright position by one end of said latch plate; a levertrigger plate 8 secured in said support 3; a slotted bait receptacle onone end of said trigger' plate, and, a keeper 7 on the other end of saidtrigger plate; a beveled catch 5 on one end of said latch plate, so thatturning,- said latch plate into a verticle position will automaticallyset the trap; supports .l0 10 coliesively connected with base plate 1and provided With slots 11 11; a spring bar 13 secured to said supports10 10 in saidslots 11 11; springs 12 coiled on said spring` bar 13 forforcing said trap loop to said base plate when said catch 5 is releasedfrom said keeper 7, all substantially as illustrated and set forth.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL SHREFFLER.

Witnesses STEPHEN A. GooDsrEED, Joran T. WHITE.

